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| Glenda Chappell |
Each year, the BCBS-Louisiana also honors a "Blue Angel," an employee of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana who has shown extraordinary commitment to children. This year, BCBS-Louisiana selected Glenda Chappell – who, over the last decade, have provided hands-on training, mentoring and career development to Baton Rouge youth through the local chapter of Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) - and will make a $5,000 grant to BDPA in Chappell’s names.
Glenda is a founding member of the BDPA Baton Rouge chapter. Her experience with the organization in other parts of the country since becoming a member in 1998 convinced her that BDPA had worlds to offer the community of Baton Rouge and gave her the drive and desire to introduce the two communities. She now serves as the VP-Finance for that chapter, and organizes its training efforts. Glenda has also served on the National BDPA Board of Directors.
Glenda is also the owner and manager of GDC Consulting. Through this corporation, Glenda offers computer training at discounted rates to the Baton Rouge community, offering training on topics as the need arises in the community. It is her desire that, through this company and BDPA, she can help obtain her goal of “providing training to the community in all things IT”.
Glenda is a 1978 graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., with a degree in Secondary Business Education and a minor in Computer Science. She serves as secretary of the Scotlandville Hornets High School Alumni Association, where she graduated high school, and coordinator of the Young Adult Ministry at Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church, where she teaches Sunday school, works with the hospitality and membership committees, and sings in three choirs. She is the mother of two adult sons and grandmother to three grandsons and two granddaughters.
This blog wanted to get a more personal look into the personality of this rising BDPA leader. We asked Glenda to give brief answers to some odd questions. We hope you enjoy this new feature that we simply call, 'Long Story Short...'
- Favorite food you’d take with you on a desert island? Ice cream. No point in existing without ice cream.
- How you kill time in airports? On my laptop/tablet. If there’s work to complete, I complete it; if there’s an e-book I haven’t finished, I read; if there’s nothing else calling my attention, I play card games. Unless, of course, there’s a game on. That is going to get my attention first.
- Least favorite chore? Cooking. The purpose of my kitchen in my house is to hold the refrigerator that houses my ice cream and the milk for my cereal. I am from Louisiana, and do have some specialty dishes that I make (i.e., gumbo, banana pudding), but I am no cook. Those things are made at special requests or for special events only.
- Simple things that make you happiest? Making others happy. I long ago decided this was my sole purpose in life. I love to see others enjoy my cooking, even though I don’t do it much. I love to see the light bulb go off in the eyes of students when they finally understand a concept they’ve been having trouble grasping. I love to see the relief on a person’s face when they learn that something they needed is being provided. That is what keeps me going.
Nothing wrong with a sistah who likes ice cream!
